Proved: 2 May 1778
In the Name of God Amen, I Susanna Levan in Maxatawny in the County of Berks & in the Province of Pennsylvania Finding myself Weak in Body, And yet of a good Understanding and Memory, thanks be to God, Who has given it me. I order after my Death my Body to be Buried in the Earth in a Christian Like mode & manner, But my Soul in the hands of Almighty God, Who hath given the same, Firstly, I order that my Funeral Expenses shall be paid out of my Estate after my Decease.
I bequeath to my three Step Daughters, Namely Barbara Reeser the sum of £50. to Elizabeth Reeser the sum of £50. and to Annelise Friedly the sum of £50., These bequeaths they shall receive in one year after my Decease & no sooner Shall be their Legacies of me & no more
The Remainder of my Estate, Namely the third Share of my Husband's goods to me bequeathed, Shall be Divided among my own Children. Sons & Daughters in equal Shares. Except, I bequeath to my youngest Daughter Dorothea first of all my Bed on which I lie & all belonging to the same, But if one or the other should Die without his Lawful Age, or without Issue, So shall that, or his bequeath, be Divided among the other Children in equal Shares through my two Worthy Sons in Law Namely George Kemp and Jacob Levan, Miller, Whom I Name for my Executors over my aforementioned Estate. for to Divide everything Justly and Cleaverly [?] among my Children as is above mentioned. Further, I do & acknowledge and Declare this for my Last Will and Testament, And Make Void all former Wills by me made, And have Signed my Name against the Seal before present
Susanna Levan
Witnesses the 18th April 1778
Dewalt Bieber
Dewalt Wink
Bastian Levan
Note:
Susanna Siegfried was the daughter of Johannes and Elizabeth Siegfried of Maxatawny. At the time of her death in April 1778, she was the Widow of Daniel Levan who preceded her in death on 15 May 1777. In Daniel Levan's Will, dated 9 July 1776, he names his Wife Susanna and 16 Children: Peter, Barbara Reeser, Elizabeth Reeser, Anna Elizabeth Friedly, Catherine Levan [She was baptized "Maria Catherine" in 1745 and married at the time of her Father's Will to her Cousin, Jacob Levan, who was Sebastian Levan's younger Brother], Abraham, Mary Siegfried, Susanna Kemp, Magdalena, Esther Weiser, Daniel, Margaret, Sarah, Dorothy, Jacob and Isaac.
Notice that Susanna mentions stepdaughters; Barbara Reeser, Elizabeth Reeser and Annelise Friedly (she doesn't mention Peter in her Will, probably because he was a stepson who died a Bachelor prior to her writing her Will on 18 Apr 1778. Peter died before 2 May 1778). The fact that Susanna mentions stepdaughters in her Will brings up an interesting fact that most people seem to overlook, namely, Susanna was Daniel Levan's second wife. I don't know the name of his first wife ( I'm hoping you can tell me).
Notice also that Susanna mentions as Executors SONS-IN-LAW George Kemp and Jacob Levan (This is Sebastian Levan's Son, who was married to Susanna's Daughter Magdalena. As a Widow, Magdalena will marry Widower, Heinrich Siegfried. As noted above, Susanna's Daughter Catherine was also married to a Jacob Levan, who was Sebastian Levan's younger Brother, but he was deceased when Susanna's Will was written and Daughter Catherine was remarried to Philip Geehr). This indicates that Susanna (Levan) Kemp and Magdalena (Levan) Levan were Susanna's Daughters. It appears that when Susanna writes in her Will "my own children" she's referring to the last twelve of the Children I have listed in the first paragraph of this note as appearing in Daniel's Will.
Submitted by Leon.
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